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Human Resources Commission Packet 2010 09-15-10 �'� c ► UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE ' 14 TMAN RESOURCES COMMISSION EST. a3s COMMITTEE MEETING 800 Game Farm Road / Yorkville, Illinois 60560 Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 Time: 6:30PM City Conference Room Call to Order: Establish a Quorum: Introduction of Guests: Citizen Comments: Approval of Minutes: Mayor's Report: 1. Historical Street Naming Update Staff Reports: Committee Reports: New Business: 1. Community Gardens 2. Volunteer Network System Old Business: 1. Volunteer Appreciation Day Update 2. Holiday Under the Stars Charity Collection / Community Involvement Items for Next Meeting Agenda: Additional Business: Adjournment: C/r� Reviewed By: Agenda Item Number Legal ❑ New Business #1 Finance ❑ —�- -- EST, Engineer El-� _ Tracking Number City Administrator ❑ Consultant ❑ Agenda :Itein Su;n nary Xlertio Title: Community Gardens Meetioc, awl Date: HRC 9115110 Synopsis: See attached memo. Council Action Previotisly'faken: Date of Action: Action Taken: Item Number: Type of'mote Required: Council Action RegUestetl: Submitted by: Glory Spies Name Department Agenda Item Notes: Cl 'Unk-ed City of Yorkville Alemo 800 Game Farm Road 1838 Yorkville, Illinois 60560 Telephone: 630-553-4350 Fax: 630-553-7575 Date: September 13, 2010 To: Human Resources Commission From: Glory Spies CC: Subject: Community Garden information In order to facilitate discussion regarding Judy Burk's suggestion of the United City of Yorkville hosting a community garden, I have attached some information from the St. Charles Park District and the Geneva History Center. The St. Charles Park charges a nominal fee for the sites and provides rototilling and water. Currently the Geneva History Center's garden is not manned by the City. The garden is planted by the center and the food is given to the food pantry. These are just a few considerations if we were to pursue the possibility of implementing a Community Garden in Yorkville. St. Charles Park District-Garden Plots http://www.st-charlesparks.or_e/Parks/garden-plots.asp St. Charles Park District • 101 South Second St. • St. Charles, IL 60174 •630.584.1055 - St-CharlesParks.org The St. Charles Park District maintains 482 garden plots for our community: r 248 garden plots at West Side Community Park To(map) 20' X 30" $20 ■ 266 garden plots at Primrose Farm Park f1i(map) 30' X 30' $20 15' X30 $15 Plots are reserved for perennials and annuals. Park District staff rototill all of the annual plots around the first of April. Carden plot reservations must be made in person at the Pottawatomie Community Jack and Chloe Patterson helping out in grandma's garden plot! .F Interene-1 ir; Rerilnm -i a'lot"! u February 2 - March 5 Returning gardeners may reserve the same plots rented last year. ■ March 8- 19 Returning gardeners may reserve new plots. ■ ]March 22 Open registration for all new gardeners r Apr I - Oct 30 Open Sam- 8pm each day For more information,please contact Cori Hedlund at 630-513-4332. Copyright©2002-2009 St. Charles Park District. All rights reserved. 1 of 1 9/13/2010 10:43 AM ;cap ICENTER7 Welcome to the Geneva 11-1stery Center"S annnr ffity G rde ! What ls.a Community Garden? Very simply,it is any piece of land gardened by a group of people. The Geneva History Center's Community Garden is part of Geneva's 175th Anniversary celebration.The garden includes heirloom vegetables and herbs that Geneva's first settlers would recognize as well as a few contemporary favorites. There are three earthboxes in the community garden: 1. Ar nar.a and Sioux Heirloom Tomatoes are being grown in one earthbox. 2.. The second has Bush Green Beans and Lincoln Sugar Snap Peas which will be replaced in July with Kale. 3. The third earthbox contains herbs. Long before doctors and pharmacies people turned to plants for their medicinal needs. Herbs the early Geneva settlers might have used for.medicinal purposes include: Basil- cures fevers,colds,flu,coughs, sinusitis, and cramps;the leaves are good for insect bites Oregano-helps to calm the digestive system, and helps some respiratory conditions Dill-quiets upset stomachs and heartburn Chives-stimulates poor appetites and aids in digestion. Chamomile- used as a mild sedative and is good for insomnia dl'e hope the Gen .va.f?istory Center's "Community Garden"inspires you to start you.•,own garden! Benefits of a.Community Garden: Improves the quality of life for people in the garden Provides a.catalyst for neighborhood and community development Creates income opportunities and economic development Creates opportunity for recreation,exercise,therapy,and education ;Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots ' ~` Stimulates Social interaction Fneouiage.s Self-Reliance Bcautifies Neighborhoods �l Produces Nutritious Food Reduce-,Family Food Budgets Cons ervus Resources Preserves Green Space - g �, ` v C g. Reviewed By: Agenda Item Number 9 -q Legal ❑ New Business 42 Finance EST. - 1836 ❑ ._� Engineer El Tracking Number - ��e City Administrator ❑ Consultant ❑ Agenda [tem Summary 1Vlemo Title: Volunteer Network System Meeting and Date: HRC 9115110 Syaopsis: See attached discussion document. Council Action :Previously Taken: Date of Action: Action Taken: Item Number: Type of Vote Requit-ed: Council Action Requested: Submitted by: Amy Baudouin Name Department Agenda item Notes: Discussion Document By Amy Baudouin—September 15, 2 01 The Idea Volunteer—A person who freely offers to take part in a project Network—A group of interconnected people System—Set of things working together as parts of an interconnecting network The fluma n Resource COM111ittee (HRC) would like to open a dialogue with the City to consider establishing a Yorkville Volunteer Network System (VNS). The Yorkville VNS would allow the City to strengthen our communities while connecting good people with good causes. The HRC would gather social service agencies and local government officials to ask what their needs may be over a typical six-month period. (Each group would assign a volunteer liaison to HRC.) For example, from this meeting the following could be potential volunteer activities supported by the Yorkville VNS: ■ Landscaping Painting Simple carpentry needs Yard beautification for individuals Roadway clean-up Organizing a group outing for seniors Our pool of volunteers would be solicited from the following groups: Middle School and High School students # Boy Scouts + Girl Scouts 0 Explorer Scouts • Yorkville Police Academy Group 15 Individuals Local businesses $ Committee members' friends & neighbors Internet-based volunteer matching programs such as www.VolunteerMatch.org A Few VNS Models to Consider Note: Each of these models would require the support of a volunteer coordinator/administrator 11llodel 1: Manual, "One-D ay-at-a-Time"Volunteer System. In this model, the volunteer coordinator would organize community members to volunteer for a six-hour day to help with pre-detennined activities such as those noted above. Volunteers will be manually matched to the activity of their choice. In this model the VNS is offered one day at a time...as needed. We could start with two volunteer days per month, see how it goes and then go from there. Model 2: Semi-Automated, "As Needed"Volunteer System. This is a more sophisticated volunteer system which is run more like a business. Important features of this system include: 1) database development and management to track volunteer opportunities in the community; 2) database development and management to register volunteers and link them with the opportunities available (depending on task,background checks may be necessary); and 3) database update (this could be done quarterly or bi-monthly by the HRC). NOTE: In Model 2, one option is to purchase an Online Volunteer Management System for Recruiting, Tracking and Coordinating Volunteers. One company, Volgistics, offers a web-based system which is easy to use. It eliminates the need for software,manual updating, databases or networks and can be accessed by the administrator anywhere and at anytime. For more information, visit www.Volgistics.com. 1Llodel 3: Use and promote a web-based volunteer system already established on the internet—for example, VolunteerMatch.org. 2